Stigmana

< home - < lore

A philosophical / religious tradition of the Anathian people. It is centered around the worship of heroic figures of the past who have been officially named by Stigmanic Priests.

Core beliefs:

Stigmanists believe that accomplishing heroic feats of strength, great sacrifices, or otherwise impressive deeds is the purpose of life. They spend their days training physically, magically or in any number of ways to be prepared for their ‘Quintessence’. A moment that they believe each person has, which will define them for eternity. This moment may come at any time, so it is essential for them to ready.

The concept of sacrifice is possibly the most important. To sacrifice for a just cause is the highest form of life. Many followers will perform ritual meditation ceremonies where they expose themselves to great pain, or torment so they can prepare for a noble sacrifice.

Followers of Stigmana choose to worship a single, or many ‘stignamed’ heros, often forming subsects to strictly follow the teachings of that hero.

Priests:

Stigmanic Priests are a class of followers elected to lead others in ritual Stigmana meditation. These priests do not form any formal leadership of the Stigmana, because it is not a heirarchically organized ideology. There is a conclave once every 5 years where various decisions are made. They are not paid for their services, and are largely granted land or land use by a noble who either tolerates their activities, or is a believer themself. Many choose a life of complete destitution.

Followers:

Followers of Stigmana range from the ultra dedicated, to the passively participating. The average Anathian will have some sort of hero they worship, but many simply see their particular chosen hero as a good luck charm, or a role model. Not every follower will meditate or prepare obsessively for their Quintessence, but true believers exist all around.